Peachy Banana Split Cake

Peachy Banana Split Cake

By: Cecilele Esperanze

Peachy Banana Split Cake

Ingredients: serve 4 to 6

2 pieces pound cake loaves

1 cup all purpose cream, well chilled

¼ cup powdered sugar

¾ cup sliced peaches

¾ cup sliced bananas

½ cup slivered almonds, divided into 2 portions

Procedures: 

With a serrated knife, slice each pound cake horizontally into 2 equal portions. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whip the cream and sugar until fluffy. Divide the resulting cream into 4 portions.

On a serving platter, place one layer of pound cake and cover with 1 portion of the cream mixture, sliced bananas and 1 portion of nuts. Top with another portion of peach cream mixture on top and garnish with the bananas and peaches. Repeat with the other sliced pound cake loaf using the remaining cream mixture and fruit toppings. Chill before serving. 

Chocolate Fruit Cake

Chocolate Fruit Cake

Recipe by Norma chikiamco

Chocolate Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

1 loaf fruitcake

8 ounce semisweet baking chocolate

1 cup all purpose cream

Rainbow sprinkles, optional

Procedures: 

Cut the fruitcake into 1 ½ x 1 ½ inch slices.

Line the jelly roll pan or baking tray with the waxed paper. Position the wire rack on jelly roll pan. Arrange fruitcake slices on top of the rack about 1 inch apart.

Put chocolate in a heat proof bowl.

In a saucepan, heat all purpose cream just until bubbles appear on the sides. Pour cream into the chocolate and cover bowl for about two mixture with a wooden spoon until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.

Pour chocolate over fruitcake slices, distributing evenly. Let the chocolate drip on the pan(the waxed paper will catch the drippings).

If desired, decorate with sprinkles. Let stand or chill in refrigerator until chocolate is set

To serve:

Transfer fruitcake slices into cupcake holders. 

Chocolate Granache Truffles

Granache Truffles

Recipe from Barry Callebaut institute

Ingredients: make around 50 pcs

200 grams heavy cream

600 grams dark chocolate

300 grams butter tempered chocolate, for dipping chocolate shavings or crushed nuts or cocoa powder

Procedures:

In a saucepan, heat the cream to boiling then leave to cool to about 40^oC

Put the chocolates in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Remove bowl and stir chocolates. Return bowl to microwave oven and heat for another 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat the procedure, stirring each time until chocolates are completely melted.

Mix the melted chocolate into the cream, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Let cool to room temperature, around 20^oC

Beat the butter lightly. Mix with the cooled chocolate and stir until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag with a large tip. Pipe out ganache into small balls onto parchement paper. Let harden in the refrigerator.

When hardened, dip the truffles in the tempered chocolate crushed nuts or cocoa powder.

Grapes and Wild Rice Stuffing

Grapes and Wild Rice Stuffing

Grapes and Wild Rice Stuffing

Recipe by Martin Bracker

Ingredients: Makes about 4 cups

2 cups vegetable broth

½ cup water

½ cup brown rice

½ cup wild rice

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup diced apple

1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

¼  teaspoon pepper

2 cups seedless red grapes salt, to taste

Procedures: 

In a pot, bring broth and water to a boil. Add brown and wild rice. Bring to a boil again then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 to 55 minutes or until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350^oF

Meat butter in large skillet or wok. Sauté onion, celery and apple. And sage and pepper. Stir in prepared rice and grapes. Mix well. Adjust seasoning with salt if necessary.

Spoon rice mixture into a 1 ½ quart baking dish. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. 

Roast turkey

Roast turkey

Recipe by Norma Chikiamco

Ingredients: serve 15 to 20

Turkey

1 whole Butterball turkey, (about 9 to 10 pounds) Salt and pepper, to taste

½ cup butter, divide into two portion

1 onion, peeled

Fresh sage, optional

Fresh thyme, optional

Procedures:

Pre heat oven to 425^oF

Remove the packed turkey neck, liver and giblets from the turkey and set aside for making the gravy. Wash turkey well inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper.

Melt 1 portion of the butter in a small skillet.

Positions turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan and brush all over with melted butter. (if you don know which is the breast side up, just remember, the wing tip has to points upward.)

Cut remaining butter into cubes and insert in cavity of turkey, together with whole onion and herbs, if using.

Season turkey again with salt and pepper. Insert meat thermometer on the thickest part of the turkey, which would be the thigh, closest to the body. Be sure meat thermometer does not touch the bone.

Put turkey in preheated oven. Turn oven temperature down to 350^oF. check after 45 minutes to see if turkey is browning too fast. If so, lower heat to 325^oF. you may also cover the turkey loosely with a tent of aluminum foil.

While turkey is roasting, you may baste it occasionally with the drippings. For this purpose, you should use a basting brush with a long handle. (it is also okay not to baste turkey, if you don’t want to.)

Note: for a 9 to 10lb. turkey. Check for doneness after 2 ½ hours. The meat thermometer should register 180^oF. if it hasn’t reached that temperature yet, return turkey to oven and continue checking after every few minutes. Turkey is fully cooked when the thickest part is pricked with a metal skewer and the juices run clear.

When the turkey is done remove it from the oven and transfer onto a serving platter. Reserve the drippings from the pan for the gravy.

Allow the turkey to rest for about 30 minutes before carving. Serve with gravy and cranberry sauce(available in supermarkets).

Giblet Gravy

Ingredients:

1 turkey neck(from package)

1 turkey giblet (from package)

1 turkey liver (from package)

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups water dripping from turkey

¼ cup flour

Procedures:

Put turkey neck, giblet, liver and salt in large saucepan. Pour in water. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Let turkey neck continue to simmer in the water for another 30 minutes but remove giblet and liver. Transfer into a mortar and pound with a pestle until of very fine consistency. Set aside.

Remove turkey neck from saucepan and turn off heat. Pry the meat form the bones. Chop meat finely. Set aside together with the pounded giblet and liver. Make sure you also set aside the simmering liquid, which would constitute the broth.

Strain the turkey drippings into a measuring bowl, to separate the liquid from the fat.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the fat into a deep saucepan. Add flour and cook over low heat, constantly stirring the fat and the flour until well blended. Pour enough of the broth into the reserved drippings to make 2 cups. Add the pounded turkey meat, giblet and liver.

Gradually pour mixture into the flour fat mixture in the saucepan. Stir over low heat until smooth consistency. Season with additional salt if needed. Strain and serve with roast turkey. 

Baked Ham with Vegetable Stuffing

Baked Ham with Vegetable Stuffing

Recipe by Jundy Gueco

Ingredients: serve 8 to 10

1 ¼ kilos cooked ham, whole and boneless

Stuffing

8 sliced bacon

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

150 grams fresh spinach, sliced thinly

½ cup thinly sliced fresh button mushrooms

½ cup teaspoon dried rosemary cheddar strips, for topping

Procedures:

Slice the whole ham at ¼ inch intervals without cutting completely through, leaving the ham still whole at the bottom. Place in an ovenproof dish and set aside.

Place bacon on ungreased skillet. Turn on heat to medium low and cook bacon until fat is drawn out and bacon turns crisp but not to dark, about 3 minutes. Remove bacon from pan, place between paper towels. Put bacon in a bowl and crumble to medium pieces. Discard excess oil from pan.

In the same skillet, heat butter. Lightly sauté onion until nearly transparent, about 2 minutes. Stir in spinach and mushrooms;

Cook on medium high heat for 2 minutes. Drain excess moisture from the pan. Add bacon, cheese and rosemary. Heat through.

Pack stuffing between the ham slices. Decorate with extra strips of cheese.

Heat in microwave oven(medium – high) for 3 minutes or until strips of cheese start to melt. Or bake in preheated conventional oven (350^oF) for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. 

Pasta with Arugula and Pancetta

Pasta with Arugula and Pancetta

Ingredients : Serve 4 to 6

500 grams spaghetti or linguine noodles

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large head garlic, coarsely chopped

½ cup diced pancetta, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 cup fresh cream or heavy cream

1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest

   Juice of 1 lemon

1 bunch fresh arugula leaves salt and pepper, to taste shaved parmesan cheese

Procedures:

Cook noodles in a large stockpot (any noodles of you choice will also do) according to package directions. Drain noodles and return to pot. Cover pot to keep warm.

In a saucepan, heat oil and sauté garlic. Add pancetta, cream, lemon zest and juice.

Wash, dry and cut the arugula into halves. Add to pan and cook until the arugula leaves are wilted. Season with salt and pepper

In the pasta pot, toss the hot pasta and the pasta sauce to combine. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese and serve hot. 

Osso Buco

Osso Buco

Recipe by: Suzette Montinola

Ingredients: serve 10

2 to 3 kilos beef shanks, cut into serving pieces

Enough flour, for coating meat

2 to 3 tablespoons butter

4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

2 tablespoon chopped parsley, plus additional, for topping

6 cups seasoned beef stock

1 bottle (750ml) white wine grated lemon rind

Procedures:

Coat the meat pieces in flour, paying particular attention to putting flour on the bone where the marrow is to ensure that this does not ooze cut during cooking.

In a large pan, melt butter, brown meat pieces on all sides.

Arrange meat pieces in a large casserole. Add diced tomatoes and chopped parsley. Pour in the beef stock and white wine.

Cover the casserole and simmer the mixture slowly until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. When meat pieces are tender, remove meat and reduce the sauce by boiling until it thickens.

Arrange shank slices on a platter. Top with the sauce, additional chopped parsley and grated lemon rind. Serve. 

Maple Orange Sweet Potatoes

Maple Orange Sweet Potatoes

Maple Orange Sweet Potatoes

Serve 6 to 8

1 kilo boiled kamote (sweet potatoes), peeled and sliced into rounds

1 cup mapie flavored syrup

1 cup orange juice

¼ cup butter

Combine the kamote, syrup, orange juice and butter in an ovenproof dish. Bake in preheated 300^oF oven for 20 minutes or until golden.

Panna Cotta with Mandarin Oranges

Panna Cotta with Mandarin Oranges

Recipe by Dorothy Ferreria

Ingredients: serve 4 to 6

Panna Cotta with Mandarin Oranges

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1 cup fresh milk

1 ½ cups all purpose cream

1/3 cup white sugar

½ teaspoon lemon extract

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments in light syrup

Procedures:

In a large saucepan, disperse the gelatin in the milk and mix well. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin granules to swell. Pour in cream and sugar and mix well.

Place over medium heat and allow to simmer until the gelatin has dissolved completely. Stir in flavoring extracts. Transfer to six ½ cup ramekins and chili overnight.

To serve, top with mandarin orange segments.

Lemon Squid

Lemon Squid

Lemon Squid

Recipe by Cecille Esperanza

Ingredients: Serve 6

2 tablespoon oil

1 medium white onion, sliced into rings

½ cup diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated lemon pee!

½ teaspoon salt

1 kilo squid, cleaned, ink sacs removed, cut into rings

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Procedures:

In a pan, heat oil and sauté onions until transparent. Add bell pepper and cook until tender. Stir in water, lemon juice, garlic, lemon peel, and salt. Let simmer

Add squid and cook stir for about 1 minute.

Stir dissolved cornstarch into squid. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 1 minute. Serve warm.

Prawns Thermidor

Prawns Thermidor

Prawns Thermidor

Ingredients: serve 6

½ Kilo prawns(about 12 pieces) gin

2 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

¼ cup chopped onions

¼ cup chopped green bell pepper

1 tablespoon chopped celery stalk

2 tablespoons chopped spring onions

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

¾ tablespoons fine salt freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 ¼ cups full cream milk

1 container cottage cheese

½ bar grated cheese chopped parsley, optional

Procedures:

Suing kitchen scissors, carefully cut the shell of the prawns from the neck down to the tail at the back, making sure to keep the shells intact. Carefully remove the prawn meat and chop coarsely.

Add enough gin to cover the chopped prawns completely until ready to use. Arrange the prawn shells in a baking dish. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375^oF

In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the garlic until it becomes fragrant. Do not allow the garlic to brown or the sauce will get bitter. Add the onions, the bell pepper and the celery stalk.  Sauté until the onions are limp. Drain prawns and add to pan. Sauté only until  the flour is no longer visible. Pour in the milk and allow boiling. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens to the desired consistency. Stir in cottage cheese.

Fill the prawn shells with the cooked mixture. Top with grated cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove prawns from the baking dish into a serving dish. Garnish with chopped parsley or other fresh herbs, if desired.

Seafood Teriyaki

Seafood Teriyaki

Seafood Teriyaki

Recipe by Cecille Esperanza

Ingredients: serve 4 to 6

2 tablespoons olive oil, for stirfrying

½ kilo fish fillet, cut into cubes

½ kilo squid, sliced into rings

2 tablespoon olive oil, for sautéing

¼ kilo medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ head garlic, minced

¼ cup teriyaki marinade

½ tablespoon calamansi juice

Procedures:

In a skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Stir fry fish over medium heat about 3 to 5 minutes. Add squid and shrimp. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain the juice from the seafood.

In a skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sauté garlic about 1 minute. Add the cooked seafood, teriyaki marinade and calamansi juice. Stir to combine. Heat through. Serve warm.